Fall also makes me want to bake all the time. I've always wanted to try my hand at a bread pudding, so I figured now was the perfect time. It's warm, gooey, extremely sweet, and perfect for a cold fall night with some great "fall-ish" flavors. And I must say, I'm pretty proud of this one! The bread is soaked up with all sorts of saucy goodness and the sweet taste of apple and crunch of the hazelnut-sugar topping...it just can't be beat.
What You Need
1 Granny Smith apple
1 teaspoon Apple Pie spice
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups cubed day-old Italian bread
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 cup chopped hazelnuts
Sauce
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup whisky
What You Do
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9X12-inch pan.
2. In a small bowl, peel and chop the apple. Toss with the Apple Pie spice (1tsp), and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar (2cups), eggs (5), and milk (2cups) until combined. Add the vanilla (2tsp), then add the bread cubes and toss until all the bread is coated. Set aside for 10 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, crumble and mix together the brown sugar (1/2cup), butter (1/2stick), and hazelnuts (1cup).
5. After the 10 minutes are up, mix the apple with the bread mixture. Then pour the mixture into the prepared pan, and top with the brown sugar crumble. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until set and remove from the oven.
6. To make the sauce, in a small saucepan, mix together the sugar (1cup), butter (1stick), egg (1), and vanilla (2tsp) until the sugar is dissolved. Add the whiskey, and stir well. Then pour over the bread pudding!
Serve while warm, or cold. But personally, I think it's just great while hot!
This recipe was adapted from The Best Bread Pudding by Paula Deen.
